


Morning Papers

by bubblygal92



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, NSFW, Undercover as a Couple
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-26
Updated: 2014-09-26
Packaged: 2018-02-18 19:45:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,603
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2360021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubblygal92/pseuds/bubblygal92
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor and Rose go undercover as a married couple at a gated community in a far off Earth colony, investigating suspicious disappearances in the area. Set between <i>The Satan Pit</i> and <i>Love and Monsters</i>. Ten x Rose.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Morning Papers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [larxenethefirefly](https://archiveofourown.org/users/larxenethefirefly/gifts).



> Written as a (late) birthday present for [Larxy](http://archiveofourown.org/users/larxenethefirefly). Happy birthday, darling!

“Newmist Hills,” announced the Doctor as their car drove up to the gate. “What do you think?”

Rose plastered a smile onto her face. “Yeah, it’s great,” she said, wincing internally at how fake her voice sounded.

If the Doctor noticed, he didn’t let on as he rolled down the window of his car and stuck his hand out to press the button on the intercom.

There was a small ping before a cool, computerised female voice spoke. “ _Welcome to Newmist Hills. Please enter identification._ ”

“Doctor John Tyler and his wife, Rose Tyler,” he said cheerfully, as if announcing that the weather was sunny. “Our HOA id is Montana Crescent.”

There was a brief pause before the computer chimed again, this time in far warmer tones. “Welcome, Doctor and Mrs. Tyler. Please proceed to your new home.”

The gates swung open smoothly and the Doctor tossed a cheeky grin towards Rose before driving past the gates. “Well?” he asked as they drove through a solitary street lined with well-manicured lawns and immaculate houses on either side. “Told you it would be fun, didn’t I?”

“Yeah,” said Rose, looking at the suburban street with slight apprehension. “Which one is ours again?”

“This one,” said the Doctor, turning the car into the driveway of a Victorian Gingerbread House. “Montana Crescent.”

Rose looked at the white and grey house and then back at the Doctor, who was beaming expectantly at her. “You’ve got to be kidding,” she said.

He looked dramatically crestfallen for a moment. “Rose,” he huffed. “Where is your spirit of adventure?”

“Where is your fear of anything domestic?” Rose shot back before she could stop herself.

The Doctor’s eyes went wide and he looked away from her to examine the exterior of the house. Rose closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. “Come on,” she said finally, the silence in the car getting too stifling for her comfort. “Spirit of adventure, yeah?”

He turned back to her, his earlier manic glee returning in full force. “Yep!” he declared as he threw the car door open and hopped out. “Come along, Mrs. Tyler.”

Rose shook her head with a smile at his enthusiasm, which morphed into surprise when he opened her car door with a flourish and held his hand out to her. The unexpected action made her earlier worry crop up again. She badly wanted to ask him if he was alright, but she was sure she would just get the same reply as before.

_Of course, I am alright, Rose Tyler. Why would you think I wasn’t alright? Is it because I didn’t finish your jar of jam? I thought you told me I wasn’t allowed to eat the whole jar in one sitting anymore. I was only doing as I was told..._

And on and on the ramblings went, until they ended up laughing over old stories together and Rose forgot the matter entirely. But it had been happening time and time again since their visit to Krop Tor. That trip had shaken them both, and Rose knew that they had both been a little clingy since then, but the Doctor had _changed_. 

He had become more attentive and his touches had become frequent. A passing caress to the arm had become a firm stroke. Kisses to the forehead had drifted down to the cheeks and on one occasion, the corner of the mouth. Nights had begun to be spent in the same bed, cuddled up in each other’s arms with gentle whispers in the darkness. It was a slow progression that simultaneously left Rose confused and delighted.

But he never seemed to make his intentions clear. When Rose had inadvertently rolled over one morning and distinctly felt his arousal at her back, he couldn’t have got out of bed fast enough. He had taken them to a very conservative colony that day where even the slightest touch between people was forbidden. The day had been agonising; being near each other, yet unable to even reach for each other’s hands was just painful. When they had finally returned to the TARDIS, Rose thought for certain that he was going to snog her against the doors, but he had only muttered something about repairs and then promptly disappeared under the console for the rest of the evening. She would have thought that it was the end of whatever it was they had between them, had he not snuck into her bed late at night, and held her close until morning.

Their current situation was not making the mixed signals any better. Earlier that day, they had arrived at the planet of Galayana, an Earth colony modelled after early 21st century. The Doctor had apparently had an old friend of his who had recently been made Governor of the colony and the Doctor had taken Rose to visit him. The Governor, a lovely but rather sly man named Milverton Cassle, had asked for their help. Something that Rose would have been perfectly fine with, had she not heard the way in which he needed their help. She had been expecting the Doctor to protest, but to her surprise, he had been enthusiastic like never before about going in undercover in the suburbs.

Looking around at their surroundings now, Rose wondered if he really was as enthusiastic as he looked, or as terrified as she felt inside. It was his nightmare come to life. The manicured lawns, the neighbours waving at each other, the house that would no doubt have carpets; it was all utterly domestic. 

“Lovely, isn’t it?” he asked her, once she stepped out of the car. “Just smell that. Freshly mown grass.” He inhaled deeply and smiled at her. “Just lovely.”

Rose opened her mouth to ask him if he had eaten something weird to make him go all domestic, when they were accosted by a young brunette about Rose’s age, dressed immaculately in a short, red dress, and her hair and makeup done as if she was headed for high tea rather than stepping out into her neighbour’s yard.

“Welcome, welcome,” she said, grinning brightly at them. “I’m Poppy O’Dell. I live next door.”

“Hello, Poppy,” said the Doctor, smiling back just as widely at her. “I’m the Doctor, this is Rose.”

“Doctor what?” asked Poppy, managing to look confused with her smile firmly still on her face.

“John Tyler,” said Rose, patting his arm to stop him from saying something odd. 

“John and Rose Tyler,” nodded Poppy, her eyes shining. “Lovely, lovely. Newlyweds, I presume?”

“Yes, we just got married as a matter of fact,” fibbed Rose as per their cover stories, which the Doctor had taken far too much pleasure in devising. 

“But we have been together for more than two years,” interjected the Doctor, wrapping an arm around Rose’s shoulder and drawing her to his side.

“Oh, how lovely,” said Poppy. “My husband and I got married only a few months ago too. There he is. Eric! Come and meet the new neighbours.”

The Doctor and Rose looked over to the yard next to theirs and saw a tall, square-jawed man waving at them. He set down a box of gardening tools and walked over to them. 

“Welcome to the neighbourhood,” he said, extending his hand. “Eric O’Dell.”

“Doctor John Tyler and his wife, Rose,” said Poppy as they shook hands. “They are newlyweds just moving in.”

“Well, you must come over for dinner then,” said Eric, looking at Poppy who nodded immediately.

“It will save you from unpacking the kitchen tonight,” she said. “I’ll make my special seafood platter.”

“Sounds wonderful,” said the Doctor at the same time that Rose said, “We wouldn’t want to trouble you.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble, believe me,” said Poppy. 

“Shall we say seven, then?” asked Eric expectantly.

The Doctor and Rose exchanged a look. “Seven is just fine,” said Rose finally.

Poppy clapped her hands in excitement. “Lovely, lovely, we shall see you then,” she said and then took Eric’s hand. “Don’t bring a thing!” she called out to them over her shoulder as she and Eric returned to their yard.

The Doctor and Rose smiled and waved to them before turning back to their own house. 

“That was...interesting,” said Rose.

“Want to go in?” asked the Doctor, twirling the house keys in his hand.

Rose nodded, wanting to get out of sight before more neighbours started coming over for a chat. The Doctor took her hand and all but pulled her to the front door. He inserted the key into the lock and unlocked the door, throwing it wide open. Rose started to go in when he made a sound of displeasure in his throat and stopped her.

“Wha--?” Rose’s question was interrupted by a squeak of surprise when he lifted her into his arms and carried her over the threshold. She stared at him with wide eyes as he carefully set her down on the muslin-covered sofa. 

“Tradition,” he said, grinning at the stunned look on her face and then ran out of the house. “I’ll get the bags. You explore.”

Rose swallowed, her throat feeling dry. He seemed to be really getting into the role and she wasn’t sure what to think of it. To distract herself, she decided to take his advice and explore the house. The living room furniture was covered with muslin cloths, but as she pulled them off, the aged interior began to seem much more modern. The kitchen was pretty modern as it is, with stainless steel appliances and a gleaming bench top. There was another sitting room that was lined with bookshelves, and had a large fireplace in the corner. There were three bedroom upstairs, and the master bedroom caught Rose’s attention.

The massive four-poster bed looked incredibly warm and inviting, the white and burgundy covers spotless. Numerous cushions had been placed on the bed and the floor was covered in a plush burgundy carpet that felt incredibly soft when Rose touched it. The ensuite was bigger than the guest bedroom, with a sunken bath and a huge two-person shower. Rose had been admiring the various settings on the faucets when she heard the Doctor in the bedroom.

“So?” he asked. “Was Cassle telling the truth?”

Rose walked out of the bathroom and smiled. “It is a very nice house,” she nodded. “It would help if your friend had been more upfront about the other things.”

The Doctor threw himself on top of the bed and looked at her in surprise. “Like what?” he asked.

Rose sat down next to him on the bed and regarded him with raised eyebrows. “He is holding the TARDIS hostage until we help him, Doctor,” she said.

“Yeah, it’s just insurance,” said the Doctor, apparently unperturbed. “He won’t harm the old girl.”

“What’s gotten into you?” asked Rose, shaking her head at him.

“What do you mean?” he asked, genuinely confused.

“Doctor, we are in the suburbs,” said Rose. “Where they have rules about the precise height of the grass that grows in your lawn. We have neighbours who have dinners with ‘special seafood platters’. And you haven’t complained once.”

“What is there to complain about?” he asked. “I admit Poppy and Eric are a tad enthusiastic, but it doesn’t make them bad people.”

“I never said it did,” said Rose, frustrated beyond belief at his obtuseness. “Doctor, this is everything that you hate. You looked like you wanted to dive headfirst into space at the mention of a mortgage a few weeks ago and now, you are all Mr. Homeowners Association instead?”

He sat up at that and smiled softly. “Is that what’s been bothering you all this time?” he asked knowingly.

“No,” lied Rose, her face burning as she looked away.

The Doctor cupped her face so she would look back at him. “Rose,” he said, stroking his thumb over her cheek. “I just thought we could help. We are off-worlders and as such, Cassle can send us in undercover without breaking any laws that would otherwise put this operation in jeopardy.”

Rose stared at him. “B-but, you still jumped on this chance to come here,” she said. “And you have been enjoying this, don’t even try to lie.”

“Well, yeah,” he said, manoeuvring her so that she was partially seated on his lap. “It’s a whole new adventure, isn’t it? Besides, we are still trying to solve a mystery. Even if it comes wrapped up in dinner parties and a 300-page manual about the Homeowners rules.”

“300, really?” asked Rose.

“345, to be precise,” he said. “It’s worse than the TARDIS manual. At least I got to throw that one into a supernova.” Rose smiled and the Doctor grinned boyishly. “Was that a smile?” he asked.

“Shut up,” said Rose, climbing off him. “Come on then, let’s unpack and then we can see about investigating the disappearing people.”

The Doctor grinned at her and to her great surprise, leaned forward and kissed her lips tenderly. Rose made a sound of surprise against his lips but he pulled away before she could kiss him back properly.

“W-was that you just getting into your role?” asked Rose, slightly breathless as she awaited his response.

He smiled tenderly and shook his head. “That was me kissing you because I have wanted to do that for a long time now,” he said. 

“Oh,” said Rose, going pink. “Well, in that case, feel free to do that again.”

“Yeah?” he asked shyly.

“Yes,” said Rose and smiled when she felt his lips against hers again.

~

“It’s almost six,” said Rose, lifting her head from the pillow.

The Doctor continued to bestow tiny, butterfly kisses down her neck and didn’t answer immediately. It took an insistent tug on his hair from Rose for him to look back at her. “Wha-?”

“Almost six o’clock,” she reminded him. “We have been invited to dinner, remember?”

He groaned and dropped his head onto her neck. “Why did we agree to that again?” he asked.

“Don’t look at me,” said Rose, turning around in his arms so that they were lying face to face instead of spooning on the bed. Rose’s hoodie and the Doctor’s tie and Oxford had been tossed aside a while ago, but they were both mostly clothed. “You were the one who wanted to be all neighbourly.”

“We could always stay here,” he said, fingering the strap of Rose’s tank top with a grin. “I think we are still in the middle of something.”

Rose laughed and gently moved his hand away from the strap of her top. “It might be a good idea to talk to them, you know,” she said, starting to climb out of the bed, ignoring his groan of protest. “They might know something about the people who have gone missing. One of those lived in this house, remember?”

The Doctor evidently realised that Rose wasn’t coming back to bed anytime soon, so he sat up and ran a hand through his hair. “Yes, Vinnie Morton,” he said, rubbing his eye as he recalled the information that Governor Cassle had told him. “Vanished without a trace. Just like the others.”

Rose shook her head as she hauled one of the suitcases the Doctor had brought in and lifted it onto the bed. “How many was that again?” she asked, popping the suitcase open and rifling through the clothes to find something appropriate for dinner.

“Thirty five in the last year,” said the Doctor, getting the other suitcase. “All of them lived in the community. Some of them married, others were working professionals. All of them vanished without leaving behind any clues.”

“This doesn’t really seem like a sinister neighbourhood, does it?” asked Rose, picking up a black cocktail dress and laying it onto the bed.

“Appearances can be deceiving,” said the Doctor, eyeing the dress appreciatively. “But I see your point. I mean, this neighbourhood makes snow look dirty. There are places of religious worship, neighbourhood watches, an aged care facility where people live to be well into their hundreds and schools with ratings for being the best in the colony.” Rose shot him an odd look and he grinned. “It was all in the manual.”

“Add about 35 people vanishing mysteriously in the span of a single year and you have the perfect neighbourhood,” said Rose, picking up her case of toiletries and heading to the bathroom. 

“Maybe your domestic approach will work,” said the Doctor, unfolding a fresh Oxford and pulling it on over his Henley. “Neighbours like to gossip, don’t they?”

“They certainly do on the Estate,” said Rose, returning to the bedroom with her face freshly washed and wearing only a silky robe. “You should hear Mum. She’d have what you need to know wheedled out of every single neighbour before you manage to say gossip.”

The Doctor was eyeing her long legs under the short robe and didn’t answer for a few moments. It was the mention of Jackie that broke through his fog of admiration and he made a face. “I bet,” he said.

Rose rolled her eyes at him and sat down at the vanity to do her makeup. “Do we have something that we can take over to their house?” she asked.

“Why?” he asked, buttoning up his Oxford and looking for a new tie.

“‘Cos we are guests,” said Rose, somehow managing to convey an eye roll while lining her eyes. 

“But Poppy said not to bring a thing,” said the Doctor, holding up two different ties in his hand.

“The swirly one,” said Rose. “And it’s polite to say that. Doesn’t mean we should actually go in empty-handed.”

“Humans,” snorted the Doctor, dropping the other tie back in the suitcase and looping the swirly one around his neck.

“Oi!” said Rose, shooting him a glare through the mirror. “Find a gift we can take them while I get dressed.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, putting on his suit jacket and running his fingers through his hair. “I could stay and help you get dressed.”

Rose giggled and brushed her hair. “Go,” she said and he nodded and left the bedroom, shooting her a last saucy look over his shoulder as he walked away. Rose shook her head and made sure he was gone before untying her robe and slipping into the dress. It fit her like a glove, and seemed greatly to be in the same style that Poppy’s red dress had been. She dug out a pair of heels from the suitcase and had just finished taking a final look in the mirror when the Doctor returned with a bottle of wine.

“Blimey,” he said, looking at her. “You look beautiful.”

“Considering?” she asked, raising her eyebrows.

“Considering nothing,” he said, walking up to her. “You look beautiful. That is all.”

Rose flushed and grinned at him. “Thanks,” she said, adjusting the knot of his tie out of sheer nervousness. “Where did you find the wine?”

“Apparently, we have an excellent wine cellar in our new house,” he said.

“That explains it,” nodded Rose. “What time is it?”

“Mmm?” asked the Doctor, having been too busy examining the soft fabric of Rose’s dress with gentle strokes of his fingers. “Almost seven.”

“Right then,” said Rose, disentangling herself from his arms and putting her heels on. 

“Ready?” asked the Doctor, holding out his arm.

“Lead the way,” said Rose, threading her arm through his.

~

Poppy’s seafood platter did actually turn out to be special. Rose didn’t ask too much about the creatures they were eating, mostly choosing to follow the Doctor’s lead and eating what he was eating to make sure she wouldn’t eat anything that would harm her. The food had been served with a dry white wine, though both Eric and Poppy had thanked them profusely for bringing the apparently really rare and expensive red wine as a gift. Rose hadn’t been able to stop herself from shooting the Doctor a triumphant look at the fulfilment of the human convention which had stayed unchanged across time and space.

It was halfway through dinner, when something strange started to happen. The four of them had been seated at the small, square table, and Rose had felt someone brush her foot under the table. It would have been nothing odd, had the person brushing her foot been the Doctor. But to her surprise, it was Eric. He was speaking about his job as a computer technician and seemed apparently unaware of what his foot was doing. Rose moved her foot away at once, only to have him follow. To make it worse, Eric took a break from his story to take a sip of wine and shoot her a look that told her that it was no accident.

Rose just smiled politely and got the Doctor’s attention with a look. He seemed to have caught the look that Eric had given her and Rose could see the way his eyes had darkened. Since he was sitting opposite her, Rose couldn’t take his hand unless they wanted to hold hands over the table. Eric’s foot started misbehaving again and having had enough, Rose stretched her legs and placed her feet gently in the Doctor’s lap. He looked slightly startled at first, but then relaxed and used his free hand to stroke her feet. Eric looked slightly displeased but he didn’t comment. Poppy continued to talk about volunteering at the aged care facility, oblivious to the tension at the table.

“...well into their hundreds, I tell you,” she said. “It’s not just brochure talk. Mayfield is one of a kind.”

“Really?” asked the Doctor, running his finger over the strap of Rose’s heels as he spoke. “It sounds rather nice.”

“It is,” said Poppy happily and reached for the wine bottle. “Oh, we’ve run out. I’ll get another one.”

She left the table and the tension returned. Eric ignored the Doctor and turned to Rose with a smile. “So, Rose,” he said. “What do you do?”

“Rose paints,” said the Doctor, looking none too pleased at the way he was leaning towards her.

“An artist?” asked Eric, his entire attention on Rose. “It makes sense,” he nodded, taking her hands and looking at them. “You have such beautiful hands.”

Rose withdrew her hands from his grip as politely as she could. Behind Eric, she could see the Doctor ready to go into Oncoming Storm mode. Rose knew Eric was flirting with her blatantly, but there was something off about his behaviour. Before she could ponder on it, Poppy returned with a fresh bottle of wine and just like that, the tension was all but forgotten.

“Speaking of wine,” said Rose, determined to not have this night be in vain. “It appears the previous owner of our house never bothered to clear out the cellar. Do you know why that would be?”

“No idea,” said Poppy, without blinking. “Do you, darling?” she asked Eric.

“Not a clue,” said Eric. “Didn’t really know her all that well, to be honest. We weren’t surprised when she decided to leave.”

“She left?” asked the Doctor in surprise, though he was still shooting dark looks at Eric.

“She was here one day and gone the next,” shrugged Poppy. “Personally, we were a little glad. Some people just don’t fit with our community here.”

“Really?” asked Rose.

“Oh, but you don’t have to worry about it, Rose,” said Eric, leaning towards her again. “You will fit in just fine with us.”

“That’s...nice to hear,” she said. “Isn’t it, Doctor?”

“Yes, very nice,” said the Doctor, narrowing his eyes at Eric.

“More wine?” asked Poppy, seemingly unaware of the tension.

“I think we ought to call it a night,” said the Doctor.

“Yes,” agreed Rose. “We never managed to unpack.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” said Poppy, looking genuinely disappointed. “We must definitely have you back again. For brunch, maybe?”

“Let’s plan it for some time next week,” said the Doctor, getting to his feet and bouncing over to Rose’s side at once.

“Thank you for having us,” said Rose, getting up. “We had a lovely time.”

“Oh, the pleasure was all ours,” said Eric as he and Poppy came to see them off. “Thanks again for that lovely wine.”

“Yes, I can’t believe you found a genuine Verlone,” said Poppy. She planted polite air kisses on both the Doctor and Rose. “You enjoy the rest of your night.”

Eric, on the other hand, barely shook the Doctor’s hand but placed a lingering kiss on Rose’s cheek. “Good night,” he said.

“Yes,” said the Doctor, gritting his teeth as he drew Rose closer to him. “Good night.”

It was dark outside but the street lamp must have been motion activated since it lit up as the Doctor and Rose crossed the short distance between their houses and returned home. As soon as they had closed and locked their front door behind them, the Doctor pressed Rose against the door and kissed her deeply. 

Rose rubbed the back of his neck soothingly as she kissed him back with equal fervour, needing to erase Eric’s leering gaze and inappropriate advances from memory. The Doctor seemed only too happy to oblige and he lifted her up, encouraging her to wrap both her legs around his waist. Rose laughed into his mouth as they struggled to balance at first, but the Doctor tightened his grip and proceeded to carry her up the stairs without incident. 

He placed her down on the bed and kissed her again, softer this time. Rose closed her eyes and opened them again, smiling lazily at him.

“Interesting dinner,” she said, falling back onto the bed and trying to kick off her heels.

The Doctor scowled and grabbed her ankles to take her shoes off. “That is one way of putting it,” he said, tossing the heels behind him and falling onto the bed next to Rose. 

“Eric was...weird,” said Rose.

“Funny, I thought he was being really obvious about his intentions,” grumbled the Doctor, wrapping his finger around a blonde curl on her head.

“Too obvious,” said Rose. “Didn’t you find it weird how blatant he was being? And what was all that stuff about Vinnie leaving of her own accord?”

The Doctor stopped scowling and considered it thoughtfully. “They know something that they are not saying,” he said, realisation spreading across his face.

Rose nodded in agreement. “Didn’t you hear what Poppy said? ‘Some people just don’t fit in the community’,” she pointed out. “Sounded a bit sinister, if you ask me.”

The Doctor inclined his head. “Well then, it’s a good thing that they are just next door,” he said. “We can keep an eye on them.”

“I can set up an easel in the yard,” said Rose. “It would make for a wonderful vantage point to spy on our neighbours. See if any of them are aliens up to no good.”

The Doctor shook his head. “There are no aliens,” he said. “I scanned when we first got here and again when I was in the O’Dells’ bathroom. All human. Or well, cousin species of humans. No anomalous life form anywhere inside Newmist Hills.”

“Huh, well there goes that theory,” said Rose and stretched lightly. “We can start in the morning again. Think I need sleep now.”

The Doctor nodded and loosened his tie as Rose slipped off the bed with a groan and began rummaging through the suitcase for her night things. “Your idea of painting in the yard sounds good,” he said, untying his shoes and tossing them at the foot of the bed. “You have beautiful artist’s hands after all,” he grumbled irritably.

Rose heard it and dropped the flimsy pink nightie she was holding back in the suitcase. She walked over to the Doctor and helped take his tie off. “Ignore him,” she said, pushing his suit jacket off his shoulder. “He can flirt all he want. I’m not interested in him.”

“Oh?” asked the Doctor, perking up instantly and pulling Rose closer to stand between his knees. “Who would you be interested in then?”

“There’s this bloke, see,” said Rose, playing along as she unbuttoned his Oxford. “He used to be sorta blue but now he’s sorta brown.”

“I might know a bloke like that,” said the Doctor, lowering his arms helpfully so they could take his Oxford off and toss it away. 

“Really?” asked Rose.

The Doctor grinned at her for a split second before grabbing her and pulling her down on the bed, turning them around so that she was on her back with him on top of her. “Really,” he said.

Rose stared at him in surprise, arousal building up at the feel of him over her. He stroked the back of his free hand over her pink cheek, grinning when she blushed even darker at the intense look on his face. “Doctor,” she whispered, no longer playing.

“Rose,” he said, equally serious. “May I?”

“Yes,” said Rose quickly, not really caring what he was asking permission for, just that she wanted him to touch her.

He grinned beatifically like she had just handed him the stars. He kissed her slowly, letting his lips brush hers in gentle caresses as if he was in no hurry at all. When Rose opened her mouth to welcome his tongue into her mouth, the kiss gained some urgency. As did the Doctor’s hands as they glided down Rose’s body, touching her curves through the fabric of her dress and eliciting a lovely shudder from her.

“Hello,” murmured the Doctor, looking down at her kiss-swollen lips and dishevelled hair.

“Hello,” said Rose, beaming up at him. “Help me out of this dress?”

The Doctor’s grin widened as he raised the dress up and over her head. Rose raised her arms to help take it off and when they finally got it off, she was left wearing her lacy bra and knickers. The Doctor tossed the dress away, his eyes fixed on Rose’s lace-clad body.

“Good?” asked Rose, trying not to sound as nervous as she was at his probing gaze.

“Far more than good, Rose Tyler,” he said and Rose’s breath hitched when she saw the hunger in his eyes.

“You’re still dressed,” she said.

In response, the Doctor pulled off his Henley and unbuttoned his trousers. All the while, Rose watched him with hooded eyes, as if slightly unsure if this was really happening. When the Doctor paused before taking his trousers off, Rose decided to help things along and pushed his trousers down his legs until he could kick them off. The two of them fell back onto the bed in just their under things.

“I take back what I said,” said the Doctor, rolling onto his back and guiding Rose on top of him.

“What?” asked Rose, slightly distracted by the way his fingers were caressing the skin of her back around the clasp of her bra.

He grinned and unsnapped her bra, letting gravity and Rose take it off the rest of the way. “You are much more beautiful like this,” he said, sighing when he saw Rose’s bare torso for the first time. “Too beautiful,” he murmured, admiring the rosy hue that spread over her creamy skin at his words.

“Touch me,” gasped Rose, her breathing getting heavy.

“Whatever you want,” he promised as he rolled them again so that he was on top. He dived straight for her breasts and wrapped his lips around a nipple, sucking roughly.

A low cry escaped Rose’s mouth and her hands buried themselves in his really, really great hair, keeping him in place. His other hand came up to play with her other breast, kneading and pinching it until she was quite breathless. He released her nipple with a pop before peppering kisses over both her breasts, taking care to note what bits of skin were more sensitive than others and returning to those over and over until Rose’s hips started to move towards him.

His own arousal was begging to be released and the Doctor moved himself so that he came into contact with Rose’s hot centre. They both moaned loudly at the contact, which felt electric even through cloth.

“Doctor,” said Rose, tugging on his hair to pull him closer, craving to have him inside her. “Please.”

He buried his groan between her breasts and finally moved down her body, kissing every inch of her torso as he did. He looked up to meet her encouraging gaze and grinned before easing her knickers down and off her legs. He pushed her legs apart and situated himself between them, looking up at her once again, only to find her biting her lips. He was about to ask if she wanted him to stop when she raised a leg and pushed her foot lightly over his back, the message quite clear.

He shot her a wicked grin, buried his nose into her curls and inhaled deeply. Above him, he heard her groan deeply. “Even more beautiful,” he murmured, his mouth so close to where she wanted it but not close enough.

He smiled for a moment when she tilted her pelvis closer, before his agile tongue dived into her folds, licking, sucking and devouring her essence. Her legs which had been spread apart, came together to hold his head right where it was, as Rose threw her head back and moaned so loudly that she was sure they would hear her down the street.

Her reaction seemed to please the Doctor, who doubled his efforts, and alternated between exploring her folds with his tongue and sucking her clit into his mouth. He brought up one finger to move inside her while rapidly pushing down on her clit with the tapered tip of his tongue until he felt her legs start to tremble. The vice-like grip around his head eased slightly when the Doctor entered another finger inside her, his mouth staying busy with her clit. 

“DOCTOR.”

Rose’s scream could have woken half the neighbourhood, but she didn’t care as she felt her toes curl and her orgasm wash over her like a tidal wave. Her legs continued to tremble long after the last tremors of her orgasm had passed and she couldn’t even find it in herself to be annoyed when the Doctor moved back up her body with an absurdly smug smile on his face.

“Nope,” he said. “This is the most beautiful I have ever seen you.”

Rose laughed breathlessly and brought his mouth to hers for a gentle kiss. “Always wanted you to do that,” she confessed when she had pulled away. “That tongue of yours.” She shuddered in exaggeration and the Doctor’s mouth fell open at the interesting way her body trembled at that.

“Oh, Rose,” he said, his voice bordering on devotion. “There is so much more my tongue wants to do to you.”

Rose rolled him onto his back and straddled him in response. “Tell me some other time,” she said. “Right now, I need you to be inside me.”

“Fine by me,” he said, and Rose shot him a quick wink as she moved down his body and helped take his boxer briefs off. It joined the pile of clothing around the room and Rose examined the Doctor for the first time.

“Blimey,” she said, wondering how he had managed to conceal that in those tight trousers of his.

Rather aware that the Doctor was starting to look far too smug again, Rose ran her tongue lightly over his erection, humming at the slightly alien taste of him. The strangled groan that escaped his throat was the most gorgeous sound that she had ever heard him make, so she ran her tongue over him again, wanting to hear it again and again. He obliged willingly and Rose felt she could finish him just like this, but she really did want him inside her. Easing her touch, she moved back up to kiss him softly.

The Doctor rolled them over and deepened the kiss, moving his hips so that he was lined up against Rose. “Rose,” he murmured. “Look at me.”

Rose opened her eyes and met his dark gaze. For a moment, the arousal was forgotten as they simply basked in the awe and love shining in their eyes. “Doctor,” said Rose. “I…”

“I know,” he said, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes. “Me too. So much, I can’t tell you…”

“Shh,” said Rose, reaching down and guiding him inside her slowly. “Just show me.”

The Doctor groaned in agreement and pushed the rest of the way in. The two of them moaned in unison as they felt Rose’s inner muscles pull him deeper and deeper, each sensation sending pure jolts of pleasure through them. The Doctor’s hands held her hips firmly as Rose wrapped hers around his neck. And then, they started to move.

It was just sensation after sensation of pleasure as they moved together in sync, finding a rhythm that drove them systematically closer to the edge. The Doctor shifted his hips slightly and draped one of Rose’s legs over his arm so he could change the angle of his thrusts. Rose’s nails dug into his back, pulling him closer with each thrust as if she couldn’t have him close enough.

Feeling himself getting closer faster than he would have thought, the Doctor gritted his teeth and increased his efforts. Rose seemed to sense that he was close, and she moved her legs to wrap them both around his waist. It made him slow down slightly but he was hitting just the right spot inside her, bringing her towards her second orgasm for the night.

“Rose,” he murmured. “Now…”

Rose’s response was lost into a loud cry as she peaked and brought him along with her. The two of them fell over the edge moments after each other, the intensity of their orgasm leaving them both disorientated and sated beyond belief.

The Doctor fell onto the bed on his back and Rose felt his release seep out of her, but neither of them could muster up the motivation to get up and clean themselves off just yet. When he could move his limbs again, the Doctor traced his fingers over Rose’s cheek.

“So precious,” he murmured, staring at her in awe.

Rose closed her eyes at his touch and scooted closer so she could kiss him lightly. They waited until their breathing had gone back to normal before they went to the bathroom to wash up. When they came back to the bedroom, they stripped off the first layer of bedding and got under the relatively untouched sheets together.

“This was nice,” murmured Rose sleepily, cuddling into his arms and marvelling at how much better it was sans clothing.

“So nice we ought to do it again?” asked the Doctor.

“Maybe after I’ve had some sleep,” said Rose, her eyes already closed.

The Doctor laughed and kissed her temple. “Alright.”

~

Rose was still asleep when the Doctor heard the noise at first. It was faint and in his sleeping mind, not unlike the creaking of an old house. He didn’t pay any attention to it and just cuddled closer to Rose, who was warm and soft in his arms.

The second noise was a little louder and closer than before. It made him open his eyes and glance around the dark room. It was empty save for him and Rose, and the only sounds he could hear were Rose’s gentle breathing and his own hearts. He settled back and closed his eyes, though the damage had been done. He couldn’t go back to sleep.

With a sigh, he kissed Rose’s bare shoulder and gently eased out of bed. His pyjama bottoms were in his suitcase and he pulled them on along with a bathrobe. He decided to find a book from the study downstairs when he heard the noise yet again. It felt like someone stepping on creaking stairs, which put him on alert. He touched Rose’s shoulder to wake her and placed a finger on her lips when she opened her eyes and started to speak.

Rose looked confused at his plea for silence, but they heard the sound again and her eyes went wide. The Doctor nodded and withdrew his finger from her lips when he was certain that she wouldn’t make a noise. Rose got out of bed wordlessly and pulled on a robe tight around her.

The Doctor shook his head at her, silently asking her to stay there while he went and looked. Rose shook her head furiously at that, mouthing that she was coming with him. He sighed and nodded, but then stopped suddenly and sniffed suspiciously. Rose looked at him in question but the Doctor’s eyes went wide when they saw that the room had become foggy all of a sudden. Rose’s head felt heavy and sleepy and she eased back onto the bed, getting the urge to sleep. The Doctor held his breath and tried to shake her awake but Rose had fallen back asleep.

“Rose,” he whispered, but it was futile. Even with his respiratory bypass, there was only so much longer he could hold on before he succumbed to the gas and fell to the bed unconscious.

~

The next morning, Rose awoke alone, her head feeling a little stuffy. Grumbling about too much wine the night before, Rose started to reach for the Doctor when she heard the doorbell ring. Groaning at early morning visitors, Rose got out of bed and adjusted her robe to make sure it was sitting right before going downstairs to answer the door. She spared a brief moment of thought to why she had fallen asleep wearing her robe, but upon seeing a chipper Poppy at her doorstep, she looked a little confused.

“Morning, Poppy,” said Rose, trying not to show how bewildered she was.

“Morning, neighbour,” said Poppy brightly. “Just thought I would come and see how you were. It can be taxing, I know.”

“What can?” asked Rose, wondering where the Doctor had got to and how she could get rid of Poppy and go find him instead.

“Why, the gas, of course,” said Poppy.

“What ga--?” Rose started to ask before events of the night before filtered back into her mind. Waking up in the middle of the night with someone having broken into the house and then the gas which had knocked them out…

“Still a little disoriented?” asked Poppy, as if asking about a hangover. “Don’t worry, it’ll pass.”

“Where’s the Doctor?” asked Rose, backing up warily.

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about him now,” said Poppy airily. “They took him away.”

“Took him away where?’ asked Rose.

“The usual place, I think,” said Poppy. “Eric would know. You could ask him. He likes you.”

Rose stared at Poppy like she was some sort of a volatile explosive. “What?” she asked, feeling like a broken record.

Poppy nodded fervently as if there was nothing wrong with what she had said. “I could tell at dinner last night and he told me afterwards too,” she said. “He is such a good judge of people. He knew you would fit in with us and he went and spoke with the Mayfields immediately after dinner so they could get the process started.”

“The Mayfields?” asked Rose. “Isn’t that the aged care facility?” She was surprised at how calm her voice was sounding when internally, she was panicking.

Poppy looked surprised for a moment before laughing her tinkling laugh. “Oh, I forget that you are new to all this,” she said. “Yes, Mayfield is the name of the aged care facility, but all of us in the community tend to refer to everyone there as the Mayfields. They are like a family, after all, and they look after all of us like we are one of them too.”

“Do they?” asked Rose, a plan formulating slowly in her mind. “Come in, Poppy, tell me all about the family.”

Poppy looked excited as she walked inside. “Do you really want to know?” she asked.

“Of course,” said Rose. “I am going to be one of you after all.”

~

The Doctor awoke with a pounding headache and an irritated demeanour. Last night had to simultaneously have been the best and worst night of his life. He and Rose had finally, _finally_ , made love and it had been far, far better than anything his imagination could have conjured up. Then it had all been ruined by whoever had snuck into their house and drugged them.

He opened his eyes and scowled at the darkness of wherever he was being kept. His arms were bound over his head and the overpowering smell of refrigeration was permeating his senses. The cool temperature was prickling his skin and he deduced that he was being held in a walk-in freezer. He tried moving his arms to see if he could free them but they had been tied really well and the cold had made his fingers go a bit numb to try and untie the knots. 

Frustrated, he rested his head against the cold wall behind him and counted to five to calm down. His senses told him that he had been in the freezer for over three hours already. He let his eyes adjust to the dark and then looked around surreptitiously. To his greatest surprise, there was someone else tied up in the same way he was in front of him. A quick glance at the straggly grey hair of the woman told him that it wasn’t Rose, but the Doctor straightened up.

“Hello? Can you hear me?” he asked.

The woman groaned and raised her head slowly. The Doctor could see the frost on her cheeks and her eyes were bloodshot. But he recognised her just the same.

“Vinnie? Vinnie Morton? Is that you?” he asked.

“Y-you know me?” she asked in a hoarse voice.

“I’m the Doctor,” he said. “Governor Cassle sent me. Don’t worry, I’m going to get you out of here.”

Vinnie shook her head weakly. “There is no way out,” she managed to say. “They will be along shortly with their little needles. Then, it’s nighty-night for us again.”

“Who?” asked the Doctor.

Vinnie laughed hysterically. “The Mayfields,” she said. “I have been here for ten days. Haven’t you wondered how I’m still alive?” 

The Doctor had been wondering the same, but hadn’t wanted to ask outright. Vinnie was still laughing hysterically. 

“They need our energy reserves to build up before they hook us up to the machines,” she said.

“What?” asked the Doctor slowly.

Vinnie nodded wildly. “They all live well into their hundreds,” she giggled hysterically. “Can’t do that until they can feed off the life force of a few of us.”

The Doctor stared in horror as Vinnie dissolved into hysterics. Poppy did say that the brochure didn’t lie.

~

How Rose managed to listen to Poppy’s explanation without betraying her fear and disgust was beyond her. Parasites, they had walked into a gated community of parasitic human beings who had developed technology to harness the energy reserves from bodies of other human beings. 

The ‘supplements’ were only permitted after you had been in the community for more than a year. People were handpicked by the Mayfields to live in the community and those deemed unworthy went to the pantry, so to speak. That was where the Doctor had been taken, as had Vinnie before him and the others who had gone missing. 

Rose felt sick to her stomach. She remembered the Doctor telling her how the Sycorax could power their ships off his body for years. The lunatics in Newmist Hills had no idea that he was an alien, and she didn’t want to think about what they would do if they did find out. Fortunately, she had a plan and she only had to count on Poppy’s misplaced loyalty for it to come into effect.

“Poppy,” said Rose, once she had finished her explanations. “Can you take me to see the Mayfields?”

“What for?” asked Poppy curiously, though she didn’t sound opposed to the idea.

Encouraged, Rose smiled gently. “I just want to thank them for everything,” she said. “If I am to be one of you, I should meet them, shouldn’t I?”

Poppy’s eyes went wide and Rose all but held her breath as she waited for her response. Finally, Poppy smiled brightly and nodded enthusiastically. “Of course,” she said and squeezed Rose’s hands. “Oh, Eric was so right about you. You really will fit with us.”

“That’s what I am hoping for,” said Rose, hoping her expression didn’t betray her contempt. “Give me five minutes, will you? I need to get dressed.”

“Oh, of course,” said Poppy. “I’ll bring our car out front and drive you myself. It’s a little difficult to find at first. They will love you, I assure you.”

“Good to know,” said Rose and walked back upstairs, taking great care not to break out running like every instinct of hers was telling her to. Once in their bedroom, Rose dug through the Doctor’s suitcase frantically. When her hand finally closed around what she was looking for, she sighed in relief and proceeded to get dressed. True to her word, she raced back downstairs five minutes later and found Poppy waiting in the driveway.

Rose plastered a smile onto her face as she slid into the car. Poppy drove them past the row of houses and down a side street, which slowly sloped downhill. Rose remembered the uphill drive to Newmist Hills and deduced that this had to be the other side of the hills. The houses became less frequent as they passed, and there were mostly just wooded areas on either side of the road as they went on. 

When they finally turned back onto a main street, Rose saw a large, white mansion at the foot of the hill. Poppy grinned at her. “There it is,” she said. “Isn’t it beautiful?”

“Yeah, it’s nice,” said Rose, adrenaline spiking through her system as they got closer to their destination. 

The iron gates swung open when Poppy’s car approached it and they drove past the grounds and pulled into the driveway of the mansion.

“Here we are,” said Poppy, killing the car engine. “Come on. We can find someone to give you a tour.”

Rose got out of the car and followed Poppy into the foyer where a tall, intimidating-looking woman dressed in a black pantsuit greeted them. “Mrs. O’Dell,” she greeted in a cool voice. “Is this our new guest?”

“Rose Tyler, meet Quinn Murdoch,” introduced Poppy. “She is one of the first Mayfields.”

“Pleasure,” said Rose, giving Quinn her best smile.

Quinn regarded her sharply before smiling slowly. “It’s a pleasure as well, Ms. Tyler,” she said. “I’m afraid we are too busy to arrange a tour for you today.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” said Rose, trying to look as disappointed as she could.

“I could show her around,” piped up Poppy.

Quinn considered it briefly before nodding. “As long as you stay out of the main meeting room, it will be fine,” she said. “And the pantry, of course.”

“Of course,” nodded Rose.

Quinn seemed satisfied and left after a polite nod at them. Poppy took Rose’s arm. “Come, we’ll start with the technical rooms,” she said.

“Where’s the pantry again?” interrupted Rose as they walked along.

“Down in the basement,” said Poppy. “But we mustn’t go there, remember?”

“Of course,” said Rose and then cleared her throat. “Is there a loo I can use?”

Poppy nodded and showed her to one in the hallway that they were in. Smiling in thanks, Rose entered the loo and closed the door after her. Thankfully, the stalls in the loo were empty, so Rose locked the main door and reached into her pocket to find the beacon, which she had nicked from the Doctor’s suitcase. Governor Cassle had given it to them in case they needed backup and if ever there was a time to call in the cavalry, Rose supposed that this was it.

She pressed the button on the beacon and a silent alarm was sent back to the Governor’s HQ. She remembered him telling them that his forces would be there in five minutes after the beacon had been sent and as Rose waited, they felt like the longest five minutes of her life. They were almost at the five-minute mark when Poppy knocked on the door, making Rose jump.

“Rose, is everything alright in there?”

“Yeah,” said Rose, wincing at how dry her throat had gone. Fortunately, the beacon control in her hand that had been flashing red went green and outside, Rose heard loud voices of the arriving cavalry. Feeling relief seize her hearts, Rose unlocked the door and glanced out. Poppy was being held in custody and Rose emerged out slowly, holding out the beacon as proof of her innocence. The few soldiers who were clearing out the rest of the floor saw her and nodded as they let her pass.

Without wasting time, Rose grabbed one of the soldier units. “They have them in the basement,” she said.

The unit was quick to follow her lead as they all went down to the basement. On their way, they saw Quinn Murdoch and the rest of the Mayfields being arrested. Down in the basement, they came upon a locked door to a freezer, and Rose could barely stand still while the soldiers cut the lock open. As soon as the door opened, Rose rushed inside, ignoring their shouts of warning.

She found the Doctor tied up and nearly frozen to the bone, but his hearts were beating and he smiled weakly when he saw Rose. “Hold on,” she whispered, leaning up to untie his hands. “Getting you out in a minute.”

“Vinnie is over there,” he told her in a hoarse voice.

“The soldiers are here,” said Rose, finally managing to undo the knots. “They are getting her out as well. It’s over, Doctor.”

He nodded as his hands snapped free and Rose supported him as he mustered up enough strength to stand. The two of them walked out of the freezer and a medic immediately came up to the Doctor to examine him.

“I’m fine,” said the Doctor, his voice already sounding stronger. “Where’s Cassle?”

“The Governor is on his way, sir,” said the medic. “He’s just waiting for green light on the capture of all prisoners.”

The Doctor nodded and he and Rose walked back up to the foyer. They were greeted by the arriving Governor, who beamed at them.

“Doctor, Miss Tyler, I have no words to thank you,” he said jovially. “Thanks to you, we have managed to unearth this horrible operation.”

“Happy to help,” said the Doctor with a grin. 

“What will happen to these people?” asked Rose, looking slightly guilty when she saw Poppy among the captured prisoners.

“They will be tried under our laws,” said Cassle.

“Could you go easy on Poppy O’Dell?” asked Rose. “She helped, even if she didn’t know it.”

The Doctor beamed proudly at Rose, and Cassle nodded at his aide to make note of the name. “Done,” he assured her.

Rose nodded gratefully. “And can we have the TARDIS back now?” she asked.

“Of course, of course,” said Cassle at once. “It will materialise as soon as the Doctor uses the activation code.”

Rose looked a little confused but the Doctor simply shook Cassle’s hand. “We’ll be on our way then, Cassle,” he said. “Stay out of trouble.”

“And you, Doctor,” said Cassle. “Miss Tyler.”

The Doctor led Rose away, but they had only taken a few steps when Rose stopped and raised her eyebrows at him. He sighed and took the beacon controller from Rose and entered a code into it. The TARDIS started materialising in front of them, much to Rose’s surprise, and the Doctor smiled bashfully at her. 

“So, I might not have been fully honest when I said that he was holding the TARDIS hostage,” he said.

Rose merely crossed her arms and waited for him to elaborate.

“The trip to Galayana was entirely coincidental, I promise. It’s just when I heard that Cassle was looking for someone to go undercover in the suburbs, I volunteered us and asked him to keep the TARDIS away while we did,” he said.

“Why?” asked Rose.

The Doctor ran a hand through his hair. “I wanted you to know that I could do it,” he admitted finally.

Rose stared at him in confusion. “Do what?”

“Do this,” he said, waving an arm at their surroundings. “Have a house with doors and carpets. Argue about the length of grass and read Homeowners Association manuals.” He sighed again. “Rose, I wanted you to know that while I don’t like any of it, I would enjoy every moment of it if it was you that I got to share it with.”

Rose’s eyes misted slightly and she ran to him and threw her arms around him. He caught her tightly and held her close, his eyes falling shut at having her in his arms. Rose stayed in his arms for a long time and when she finally pulled away, she looked at him with her tongue-touched grin that she reserved for him.

“Come on,” she said, nodding towards the TARDIS. “Let’s go home.”


End file.
